Sol Reaper
by Scottsman95
Summary: For many, failure is just that. It may be overcome, but it does not benefit you directly. But, very rarely, failure comes with its own twisted reward. Bleach story with elements taken from Exalted. Rated M largely for violence and language, though other reasons may come up as the story progresses.
1. Chapter 1

Lying broken and bloody on the ground, Ichigo watched as Rukia was taken through the gate by Renji and Byakuya. He could curse Byakuya, he could curse the Soul Society, he could even curse fate itself. Still, he cursed his own weakness. During the moment of truth, when he was needed most, he failed.

He needed to be able to protect his friends.

He needed to be stronger.

"**Need a hand, kid?**"

Ichigo glanced around, though he was having a lot of trouble moving.

"**Behind you.**"

Craning his neck with a groan, he looked to find a man approaching him. He wore an expensive suit, green tinted glasses, and his skin was heavily tanned. "**Looks like you got your ass kicked, son.**"

Ichigo tried to prop himself up, but it felt like his limbs were made of lead. "What's it to you? Who are you anyway?"

"**You can call me Mr. Brass, or Mr. B if you want.**" Strolling casually up to where Ichigo lied, Ichigo could see that the man's mouth wasn't actually moving quite in time with his words. "**Sorry 'bout the weird voice. Doubt you speak Old Realm. As for what it means to me, well, let me put it this way. Things were pretty good, weren't they? Not perfect, but what is?** "Mr. B knelt down beside Ichigo, a shark like grin on his face. "**Then some assholes come out of nowhere and take it all away. If only you had been strong enough…**" Gripping Ichigo by the shoulders, Mr. B hauled him to his feet. Ichigo could feel some of his pain to fade. His arms felt lighter, and his cuts hurt less. "**I can offer you that. I can give you the strength to take back what's yours. **"

"Now hold on," Ichigo said, setting a hand on Mr. B's chest, "you might wanna rethink that phrasing. My friends aren't property. I want to protect them, not own them."

Mr. B held up a hand defensively, though one hand stayed on Ichigo. "**Bad choice of words. Hierarchy aint my thing. I'm talking about getting strong enough. You can protect everyone. You think you were strong as a Soul Reaper? This is even better.**"

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. He was suspicious, but something about this man's offer seemed oddly appealing, and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't considering it. "This kind of thing doesn't ever come free. What do you want in return?"

Mr B. smirked at him. "**Clever kid. Let me put it this way: what happened to you happened to my boss. Got kicked out of the world that HE built. So here's the offer. You keep an ear open, and occasionally give us a hand as we work to get ourselves a foothold. In exchange, you get power. Lots of power. You'll be able to go bust your friend out, and make sure nothing like that happens again. So what do you say? Really, it's a bargain.**"

Ichigo's face contorted in concentration. He wasn't sure he could trust this guy, but with what happened earlier…

…did he have many options?

"Alright, I'm in. How does this work?"

Mr. B's smile had been shifty before, but now it was downright predatory. "**Normally there's a bit of prep, but I can tell we won't need it. Just… hold still, okay?**"Suddenly, his grip on Ichigo tightened. His face distorted, and his skin seemed to shift and melt, like molten metal. Ichigo tried to pull back, but he found himself rooted on the spot. Molten bronze flowed over Ichigo's skin, but it didn't burn. As it moved above his neck, Ichigo swallowed his breath, closed his eyes, and waited.

* * *

Kisuke Urahara wasn't sure what to expect when he felt the surge of bizarre spiritual pressure. What he definitely _wasn't_ expecting was a coffin made of brass and bone. "Of all the… Tessai, give me a hand. We need to bring this thing to the shop. Don't want just anyone coming across it."

"Understood, sir." With that, the two men began to haul their cargo back to their home.

* * *

Climbing down the ladder to his underground training cavern, Kisuke Urahara checked his watch. It had almost been exactly five days since he found the strange coffin, the Chrysalis Grotesque. Double checking the time, he unfolded an umbrella in front of him. Moments later, the coffin began to crack, veins of green light pouring forth. In the blink of an eye, a mighty crack rang out, and the Chrysalis exploded into a cloud of brass dust. Putting aside his umbrella and waving some of the dust away, he peered at the sight before him.

Where the Chrysalis had been now stood Ichigo, worn and weary. While his wounds had healed, his robes still bore the mark of battle. A faint green glow surrounded Ichigo as he worked to catch his breath.

Kisuke was… confused. According to his studies, Ichigo should be standing tall, not a scratch on him, and bathed in green fire. While certainly healthier than when he entered the Chrysalis, he was far from what he should be. A cursory glance revealed the problem; clutched in Ichigo's hand was a broken Zanpakuto, the blade barely reaching past the hilt. This would take something more to fix than the Chrysalis had to offer.

Casually strolling over to where Ichigo stood, Kisuke began to clap slowly. "Good to see you're awake Ichigo. Last time someone was down for almost as long as you, they started a religion around him."

Ichigo glanced around before looking at the shopkeeper. "Mr. Hat'n'Clogs. Mind telling me how I got here?"

"Me and Tessai carried you here." Reaching the young Soul Reaper, Kisuke lightly poked him in the chest. "Can't just leave a big old coffin lying around after all. Somebody might bump into it."

Steadying himself, Ichigo's breathing began to stabilize. "A coffin? What are you on about old man?"

"Simple really," Kisuke said, twirling around and beginning to pace away. "Whoever you were talking with put you to sleep, and you needed to be kept somewhere. An impenetrable coffin works just fine. Now, while it looks they did a pretty good job patching you up, I see there was one thing they couldn't force through. I imagine that's why you haven't finished the change yet."

Ichigo was getting frustrated with confusing answers. "What the hell are you talking about? And how'd you know about the guy I talked with?"

"Just a bit of research and good ol' intuition. Now, about that sword of yours…"

Ichigo held up the shattered blade. "Ugh, yeah. That redhead, Renji I think, cleaved right through it. You know a way to fix it?"

Kisuke grinned. "I was just about to offer it. We're gonna have to wake it up, then it should fix itself. There are a few ways, but I think I know the best one for you." Ichigo managed to get out the first syllable of his next question when he suddenly found Kisuke right beside him, blade in hand. In a cold voice that held no mercy, Kisuke spoke a single word. "Survive."

To Ichigo's credit, he managed to leap away quick enough, though he could feel the shallow cut the blade had left in his side. Kisuke was hot on his heels though, and Ichigo could only barely see the next swing coming. He moved to block, but Kisuke simply carved straight through the cross guard, leaving Ichigo with nothing but a handle. Ichigo quickly jumped back, putting some distance between them.

"All form but no substance. You'll need to do better than that Ichigo." Kisuke stepped forward slowly, holding his sword casually off to the side. "Here, let me show you how it works. Awaken, Benihime." Ichigo watched as the sword morphed before his eyes, going from a simple blade in a cain to a true instrument of death. "All Zanpakuto have a name. To truly unleash your power, you must learn yours. Ah, but enough explanations. I believe you were running for your life?"

Ichigo did the first thing to occur to him. He turned on his heel and ran as fast as he could from this clearly deranged shop keeper. He had to keep moving, had to get away.

_Pathetic._

Ichigo hesitate briefly. That voice…

_You heard me, pathetic. Running away like a coward._

Ichigo continued to move, but now his focus was on the voice in his head. "Who are you? Answer me!"

_I am…_

Ichigo snarled. "I said who are you?!"

_Your ears are clogged with fear. Continue to flee, and you will never know strength. Stand and fight!_

Ichigo came to a stop. Whoever this was, they were right. He couldn't run forever. He had to do something.

_Abandon your fear. Turn and face him. Don't give an inch. Now Ichigo, advance! Never stop! If you retreat you will age. Be afraid and you will die. NOW SHOUT OUT MY NAME!_

"ZANGETSU!"

In that instant, the cavern was filled with a brilliant green light, as if an alien sun had risen right there. At the center of it all stood Ichigo, awash with green fire. Burning brilliantly on his brow was an emblem depicting crossed swords. Ichigo himself had changed in that instant, the work of the Chrysalis manifesting at last. He stood taller than he had before, and his muscles were more defined. His once brown eyes now shone a brilliant green, and going up his arms were deep green stripes, shaped like those of a tiger. Held in his hand was Zangetsu, awoken now and in its true form, like some giant butcher's knife. If one looked closely, they could see that shadow of some foul dragon slithering within the depths of its black body. Ichigo faced Kisuke, casually lifting the blade above his head.

"Hey Urahara." A sharp grin spread over Ichigo's face. "Catch." Bringing the sword down with a mighty swing, a wave of blinding green light shot forth, screaming towards Kisuke. When the smoke cleared, Kisuke stood there, rattled but unharmed, a shattered red wall before him. Ichigo smiled, flopping down into a sitting position and letting out a breath he hadn't known he had been holding. The flames dimmed somewhat as he rested.

"Congratulations Ichigo. Not only are you a Soul Reaper," Kisuke began, reaching up and adjusting his hat, "you can now count yourself amongst the ranks of the Exalted."


	2. Chapter 2

Ichigo, Orihime, Chad, Uryu, and Kisuke sat around the table, cups of tea in front of them. Apparently Kisuke had told them all to show up around this time, obviously predicting Ichigo's awakening.

Kisuke was the first to speak. "I want to thank you all for showing up; it's easier when I only have to explain things once. First, as you probably noticed, Ichigo's back. Few differences though." Kisuke gestured to Ichigo who nods, closed his eyes, and suddenly the dull image of crossed swords appeared on his forehead. "We call people like him Exalted. They're pretty rare, these days, he's the first one I've seen myself. More specifically, he's what we call an Infernal."

Uryu raised an eyebrow. "Infernal? That sounds… malevolent."

"It gets better," Ichigo scoffs, "apparently I'm a Slayer. It's like this thing was built for supervillains."

"Not supervillains," Kisuke cut in, "soldiers. The Infernals were built by something called the Yozi. I'm afraid I don't know much about them, since this stuff goes back pretty far. Supposedly, the used to rule the world, or maybe they built it, accounts tend to differ. At some point there was a war, and they were thrown into some kind of prison, a place called Malfeas."

All of a sudden, Ichigo clutched at his head, as if he had some kind of headache. "Ugh… no, not a place… Malfeas… he's… a Yozi. They did something to him. Something bad." His look of pain eased somewhat. "Sorry. Apparently the guy who gave me this power stuck around and now I… know things."

Kisuke nods. "That makes some sense. There are a lot of translation troubles with the old texts, but I can see how they might be both. Anyway, supposedly the Yozi made the Infernals to help them take back their home."

Orihime tilts her head. "So wait, are they good or evil?"

"Evil," Uryu mutters. "Can't you feel the _wrongness_ coming from that mark?"

"Neither," says Kisuke, taking a sip of his tea. "If there's one thing every text agrees on, the ones that aren't just propaganda, it's that Yozi are too big and too different for that kind of thing. You'd do just as well to ask if Australia is good or evil." Uryu and Ichigo glared at each other for a moment, Orihime none too subtly scooting a little bit away from the two. "Now then, there is one more reason I called you here. It's about Rukia. As you all know, she was taken away a few days ago to the Soul Society. All signs point to them planning to execute her."

Things went quiet for the moment, the room silent save for the sound of Ichigo's bones _creaking_ as he clenched his fists. "I'm gonna save her." Ichigo looks around the room, a (metaphorical) fire in his eyes. "You can come if you want, but I _will_ save her, even if I have to fight everyone in the whole damn Soul Society myself."

"Much as I applaud your bravery Ichigo," Kisuke cuts in, "a plan would be nice. You may have power, but you don't know how to use it. So here's what I suggest. It will take time to get a proper gate into the Soul Society working. Until then, I teach Ichigo what I can. The Exaltation will speed things up a lot, but a teacher always helps. As for anyone else who want to help, raise your hands." Without a moment's hesitation, all hands went up. "That's what I thought. I know someone who can help train the rest of you-"

"Who said I would _train_ with you?" Uryu said sharply. "Just let me know when it's time to head to the Soul Society. I can train just fine by myself."

Kisuke gave him a curious glance before shrugging. "I'm sure you know best how Quincy training works, so I'll leave you to yourself. I'll contact all of you when it's time to move out."

"If that's all," Uryu said as he stood up, "I'll be on my way."

Kisuke waved him off. "Have fun practicing your grumpy face in the mirror."

With a huff, Uryu turned and walked off.

Kisuke took a relaxed sip of his tea. "Kid's too serious for his age. I'll be amazed if he makes it out of high school without an ulcer. Still, he does have a point. You kids get some rest. Swing by tomorrow around noon and you can start training." The group of teens stood, making their way to the door. "Not you Ichigo. You're staying here. Your training starts a bit sooner, since you have a _lot_ to learn. Kon's taking care of your body for now. You'll be staying at the shop 'till I say otherwise."

Ichigo grumbled at the orders, but he could tell Kisuke wasn't gonna take no for an answer. "Alright, so what's this training of yours?"

Chuckling, Kisuke tapped Ichigo on the forehead. "Well, much as I might know about being a Soul Reaper, being an Exalted is a bit above my paygrade. But I think I have an idea. I always figured the whole 'demon stuck in them' thing was propaganda. Still, if it's true, than he probably knows a bit more about how your powers work. So, we're heading down to the training grounds to see if we can't get dialog flowing."

"And just how are we gonna do that?"

"Jinzen," says Kisuke as he opens the trapdoor. "It's normally used for talking with your Zanpakuto, but it should work for anything else living in your soul." Ichigo and Kisuke head down the ladder into the training ground. "Figured I'd keep you here in case anything went wrong. We're in untested waters here, wouldn't want to turn your house into a radioactive crater."

Ichigo takes a step back in surprise. "Is- is that something that could happen?"

Kisuke just shrugs. "Anyway, take a seat. Set your sword across your lap, and try to clear your head."

Ichigo does as he's told, finding a nice patch of stone to sit down on. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Kisuke climbing the ladder. "Hey, just where are you going?"

"Getting some sleep," he replies without even looking back. "Now just sit there and focus. Seeya!" With that, Kisuke shuts the trapdoor, leaving Ichigo grumbling to himself.

* * *

Ichigo wasn't sure how much time had passed, or just when his surrounding changed, but the next thing he knows, he's standing on a the side of a horizontal skyscraper. As he looks around at the strange cityscape, a voice calls down to him from a different building. "**Took your damn time. This asshole in the black cloak won't let me talk to you. Been waiting for hours.**" Looking up, Ichigo sees to figures standing on a building above(?) him. One of them was a middle aged man with sunglasses and a long black cloak, the other, a twenty-something young man in a sleeveless suit. "**Hope you don't mind, decided to change my appearance a bit to fit my new home. Recognize me kid?**"

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "Mr. B? You look different."

Scoffing at Ichigo's comment, Mr. B leaps down beside him. "**You have a remarkable ability to notice what I just told you. And it's just Brass now. Seems you had an effect on me when we mixed. Now then, we should probably work on your charms.**"

"We're planning a prison break and you want to train me to pick up chicks?" Ichigo glared at him. "What are you, my dad?"

Brass groaned. "**Wrong kind of charms, kid. Charms are how we put our power to use. Funnel all that cosmic energy through some set paths, do some crazy shit. Come on, let's train.**" Tossing his coat aside, Brass produced a large hammer from… somewhere. Before Ichigo knew what was happening, he felt the hammer connect with his ribs, knocking him back with the blow. "**Charm number one, By Pain Reforged. Those ribs of yours hurt, right? Put that power to use. Nothing controls you! You don't want to feel pain, so DON'T!**"

Ichigo clutched at his ribs. Focusing on the pain, he tried to figure out how it worked. He wouldn't feel pain, he thought. He wouldn't.

He wouldn't.

He wouldn't.

He wouldn't!

The pain began to fade. Ichigo could feel the power flow through his veins, feel his will assert itself. Ichigo straightened out, going from hunched over to standing tall. He could still tell he had been hurt, but he felt no pain. Brass strolled up to him, hammer slung over his shoulder. "**Looks like you got it. I could slam this thing right into your nuts, won't feel a thing. Remember how that worked, we're gonna build off of it. Now let's get to work.**"

* * *

Kisuke waved the group off. "I need to put finishing touches on the gate, and I'm gonna need some help from Yoruichi. Keep your windows open while you sleep so I can get a hold of you. See you soon."

After the group shuffled out, Yoruichi morphed back to her human form, her silver tattoos sparkling. "So, how much lying did you do?"

"Why Yoruichi," Kisuke asked in mock shock, "what kind of man do you take me for?"

Yoruichi bopped the side of his head. "A man with a heart of gold and a tongue of silver. Come on, let's finish up here.'


	3. Chapter 3

Looking back, the opening of the gate is when everything went to hell.

As the gatekeeper Jidanbo lifted the mass of wood and iron over his head, the group found themselves face to face with the devious face of Gin Ichimaru. With one quick slice, the captain severed one of Jidanbo's arms, and the giant fell to his knees. To his credit, he did manage to keep the gate open for just a little longer. Moving with unmatchable speed, Ichigo darted inside. "You guys find another way in! I'll try and lose them inside, see what I can find." If any argument was going to be made, it was cut short as Jidanbo's strength finally gave out and the gate crashed shut.

"Damn it!" Yoruichi swore. "That idiot's gonna get himself killed. Come on, I know someone who might be able to get us in." The cat raised her voice to be heard through the gate. "Ichigo! Keep your fool head down until we get there!"

"Right, hurry it up then." Standing across the courtyard was Gin, and Ichigo didn't take his eyes off the man for a second. "Gonna guess you're a captain like that Byakuya."

Gin just smiled, content to stand there. "Guilty on the first count, innocent on the second. What brings ya all the way out here?"

Ichigo's hand hovered over his sword. Something about Gin made him want to slit the man's throat, but he kept that impulse under control. "Got a friend in desperate need of a vacation. There are some great beaches in the world of the living."

That got a chuckle out of Gin. "I like you, kid. Tell you what, you get a 10 second head start, starting… now."

Where Ichigo was standing, there was now just a gust of wind. He didn't turn his back on Gin as long as he could see him. After getting enough distance, his speed picked up immensely. The trail he left made it easy to find him, but right now he just needed distance. Deciding he had gotten far enough, he came to a skidding stop, crushing footprints into the cement. He immediately shifted to a more low profile method of rushing around, darting through alleys and generally moving erratically.

* * *

What he didn't realize is that the moment Ichigo had took off, Gin began calmly walking back to his barracks. "Well, that should create some delightful chaos. I wonder what poor sap he'll run into first."

* * *

Ichigo wasn't even breathing hard. He could keep up this pace for eternity if he wanted, though he didn't have it down to where he could neglect sleep yet. He considered what he'd have to do next. First step, find Rukia, then, deal with-

His train of thought was derailed when he crashed into a hapless young Soul Reaper. Given the speeds he was traveling at, it was a miracle neither of them broken any bones as they tumbled into a heap. Ichigo quickly disentangled himself from the pile and reached for his sword, but stopped when he saw he was both unarmed and cowering in fear. "Hey, on your feet, kid. Seeing you like that is kind of embarrassing."

The young Soul Reaper peeked out from behind his eyes, and after concluding he was not in fact dead (as far as that applied to a Soul Reaper), he quickly got to his feet and bowed. "7th seat Hanataro Yamada of Squad 4. So sorry to get in your way sir. I'll just be leaving now."

Hanataro turned to leave, but Ichigo quickly grabbed onto his pack. "Oi, not so fast kid. Got a few questions for you." Hanataro gulped, before turning back around. "Thanks. Now then, I need directions. Where's Rukia Kuchiki being held."

Hanataro looked him up and down. "Uh… I'm sorry sir, but who are you?" Okay, any question that gets a smile that big was a bad one. Looking at Ichigo, he was pretty sure the man was part shark.

He leaned over the frightened medic. "I'm a big bad Ryoka called Ichigo, now directions kid, or I'll eat you up." Ah, the boogieman approach, a classic.

Hanataro's eyes went wide as dinner plates, and he may very well have run screaming if he hadn't put the pieces together. "Wait, you- you're here for Rukia? To bust her out?" Ichigo nodded, keeping that horrible grin. Hanataro took a deep breath, trying to combat his shaking nerves. "Take me with you! I know where she is, and I can get us there better than most people!"

Now that was a sudden change. Ichigo straightened up, his terrifying smile replaced with a questioning look. "Scaring someone shitless usually gets a different tone in their answer. What's with the sudden bravery, you a friend of hers?"

"Well, sort of," Hanataro admitted. "I was assigned to bring her meals and that kind of thing when she was first brought in. She told me about what happened in the world of the living. She didn't use any names, but you fit the profile of one of her friends. If you're here to rescue her, you'll need help."

Ichigo crossed his arms, taking a moment to reappraise Hanataro. The man was small and timid, but underneath that, he could see a fire burning in his heart. "Alright, you're in. Come on, I need a place to lay low while I wait for everyone else."

"I know just the place." Hanataro waved for Ichigo to follow him, stopping when they reached a manhole.

"You can't be serious."

The young medic looked hurt at that. "The tunnels are huge, and they go all over the Soul Society. They don't really see much use, and I don't think there are even any official maps."

Ichigo sighed. "Fine, but the moment I step in shit is the moment I blast a hole to the surface."

* * *

The two wandered for a while, eventually stopping at a supply cache. They grabbed a couple of instant meals, taking a seat as they ate. "Hey, Ichigo," Hanataro began to ask, "why is it you came for Rukia? I mean, I get that you want to save your friend, but you basically made yourself public enemy number 1 of an entire army."

Ichigo finished off his meal, tossing the box to the side. "What kinda question is that? I came to save her cause she's my friend. I don't care if I need to fight an army, hell, I don't care if I need to pull this place apart brick by brick, I'm gonna save her. I'm gonna show these people you don't mess with anyone I've sworn to protect."

"And you really think you can do it?"

Ichigo responded by simply flaring his anima, flooding the chamber with green light emanating from the burning mark on his forehead. "Damn right I do."

In that moment, Hanataro was filled with awe. He had sensed powerful spiritual pressure before, passing captains in the Soul Society, but this was something else, something regal, something ancient.

This was Exaltation.


End file.
